Flat wire conveyer belt



N0V- 25, 1952 c. 1. VAN LAKE 2,519,306

FLAT WIRE CONVEYER BELT Filed NOV. l, 1949 Patented Nov. 25, 1952 FLAT WIRE CONVEYER BELT Carmen J. Van Lake, Waukegan, Ill., assignor to United States Steel Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 1, 1949, Serial No. 124,863

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in flat wire conveyor belts.

An object of the invention is to provide improved ilat wire conveyor belts which have an edge construction that enables the conveyor to run freely over sprockets without binding or distorting the belt links.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved flat wire conveyor belts in which the ends of the pintle rods have button heads and the pindle rods are equipped with means which prevent the links contracting transversely of the belt.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, preferred forms of which are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an improved conveyor belt which embodies features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the belt:

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line III-III of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modied construction of conveyor belt which embodies features of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a further modied construction of conveyor belt which embodies features of the present invention; and

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line VII-VII of Figure 6.

Figures l, 2 and 3 show a conveyor belt which comprises a large number of lat wire links Il] and a corresponding number' of pintle rods I2 and I2a which hingedly join said links in the usual fashion. Ordinarily the belt is of the endless type and can be driven from sprockets, not shown, which engage the outer rows of meshes I3 along each side of the belt.

The ends of the pintle rods have button heads I4 which retain the rods within the links. This edge construction offers several advantages over other edge constructions, such as those in which the ends of the pintle rods are bent in various ways. The button heads are easier and less costll7 to manufacture, since they can be formed by a simple upsetting operation. The button heads enable heavier pintle rods to be used, since there is no needfor bending the rods, and thus the rods can have greater mechanical strength. The button heads overcome the tendency of rods which have bends to bend the links and thus to misalign the links with the sprockets. However, previous dat Wire conveyor belts with which I am familiar and which have the button head edge construction have lacked any means for preventing the links contracting transversely when the belt is tensioned. In a sprocket driven belt such contraction can cause a transverse misalignment of the links with the sprockets.

In accordance with the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures l and 3, rods Iza are Welded to meshes I5 of the links, as indicated at I6. Meshes I5 are those second from the outer meshes I3 on each side of the belt. Rods l2 remain free of the links. Preferably rods I2 and I 2a are arranged alternately, although obviously they can be interspersed in other ways. The welded connection between rods IZa and the links prevents the links contracting transversely, and thereby maintains the outer meshes in proper alignment with the sprockets. When it is necessary to splice the belt, any of the rods I2, which remain free of the links, can be cut and thus removed and replaced readily.

Figure 4 shows a modied construction in which deformations I1 in rods 12a replace the welds. These deformations preferably are placed in alternate rods, the same as the welds, and engage the links at the meshes second from the outer meshes. They prevent transverse contraction of the belt the same as the Welds.

Figure 6 shows a further modified construction of belt in which distortions in the form of bends or loops I8 replace the welds. These bends or loops likewise are arranged similarly and accomplish the same purpose as the Welds, although this construction is more suitable for belts that have lighter pintle rods that bend more easily.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the present invention aords a means for preventing transverse contraction of llat wire conveyor belts Which have button head edge construction. Such means is simple to manufacture and yet effectively overcomes the diiculty of transverse contraction which tensioning produces in this type of belt.

While I have shown and described only certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A flexible conveyor belt comprising a plurality of flat wire links each bent to form a plurality of meshes extending across the width of the belt and a corresponding number of pintle rods, each of which extends the width of the belt and connects an adjacent pair of said links, said pintle rods having button heads on their outer ends outside and closely adjacent the outermost meshes of said links, some of said pintle rods carrying means which engage two spaced apart meshes of one of the links to which they are connected adjacent the outer ends of these links for preventing transverse contraction of the belt, the other links which are connected to these pintle rods being freely hinged thereto, the remainder of said pintle rods being free of such engaging means and freely hinged to both the links to which they are connected to permit their ready removal on being severed, the two types of pintle rods being interspersed through the length of the belt.

2. A conveyor belt as defined in claim 1 in which the means carried by said rods and engaging the links are in the form of welded connections between the rods and links.

3. A conveyor belt as dened in claim 1 in which the means carried by said rods and engaging the links are in the form of distortions on the rods.

CARMEN J. VAN LAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hurxthal Aug. 5, 1930 Pink Apr. 28, 1931 Woodman Dec. 29, 1931 Scherfel Aug. ll, 1942 Number 

